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Washington, D.C. – The MPAA formally submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) identifying some of the world’s most notorious markets for the distribution of infringing film and television content. The following is a statement on the filing from Joanna McIntosh, MPAA’s Executive Vice President, Global Policy and External Affairs:

“The American motion picture and TV industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy, supporting nearly two million jobs and $113 billion in total wages in 2013. That economic activity is increasingly linked to today’s growing and vibrant online marketplace for movies and TV shows, which now consists of more than 450 unique services around the globe.

But despite the growing legal online marketplace that benefits both consumers and creators, a wide range of complex and sophisticated illegitimate marketplaces operate around the world, distributing infringing content and profiting off others’ hard work. These notorious markets weaken America’s global competiveness by discouraging investment and undermining the growth of legitimate services. They also threaten consumer safety by spreading malware. We believe that the size and scope of this problem, as outlined in our filing, make clear that the best solutions will require the cooperation of all members of the online community – from creators and payment processors to ISPs and search engines.

We’d like to thank USTR for the opportunity to participate in this important exercise, and we look forward to continuing to work with all actors in the online ecosystem to tackle this issue.”

For more information on the MPAA’s filing, please click here.

About the MPAA
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

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For more information, contact:

MPAA Washington, D.C.
Howard Gantman
(202) 293-1966
Howard_Gantman@motionpictures.org